The ubiquity of automatic teller machines, or ATMs, has increased substantially in recent decades. While greater availability and improved features have made ATMs more useful in certain ways, numerous limitations in ATM design have remained. An ATM, such as the ATM 100 depicted in FIG. 1, may appear approachable, and allow users to have an open view of their surroundings, but may be difficult to protect from the view of others, which may raise concerns among some users related to identity theft or general privacy.
Other ATMs, such as the ATM 200 depicted in FIG. 2, may include privacy barriers, such as privacy barriers 250. Such privacy barriers may obscure viewing angles that may enhance privacy, but obscuring the viewing angles may make the ATM appear less approachable, may leave users feeling less aware of their surroundings, or may be used by criminals to hide illegal activity unrelated to use of the ATM.
Many aspects of conventional ATM design, such as the presence or absence of privacy barriers are often fixed and unchangeable when an ATM is in service, resulting in a tradeoff between the advantages of including privacy barriers and the advantages of a more open design which omits such barriers.
In view of the shortcomings of current ATM systems, improved ATM designs are desired.